When I passed my driving test 10 years ago (to the month) I had to do a theory test and a 40 minute driving test. I failed on my 1st, I actually got a d for dangerous driving, and I was gutted! I booked my 2nd test for 2 weeks later, in that time my driving instructor upgraded to the new Fiesta, which had power steering!
I passed on my 2nd test and only received 3 minors I was very impressed with myself especially when the examiner said thank you that was a very relaxed drive. As you can imagine at the age of 17 and a half I was ecstatic, not so my parents.
I am a strong believer that passing a driving test does not mean you are a good driver; all it means is that you have met the minimum driving standards and even then unfortunately some people only meet some of these requirements and it is clearly on display on the roads of the UK.
Experience is everything, as drivers we should learn from our mistakes even if they are costly ones. I remember once I was driving back from Heathrow on the M40 and decided to change lanes, I indicated checked my mirror and moved in only to realise there was a small Micra in my blind spot and I only just missed it. Since that day no matter what I always check my blind spot and always remind friends and family to do the same.
As I commute a 100 miles a day up and down the M25 and M20 I see a lot of dangerous driving, from people undertaking to people driving without their lights on. We also hear about all these fatal road accidents involving inexperienced and young drivers.
What the government and the DSA need to think about is how to teach safe driving, and help drivers develop maybe through the first 3 years rather than leaving them to it after they have reached the minimum standards.
I have seen a lot of advertising of late for
intensive driving courses, this worries me. You cannot set safe driving into the minds of people in 20 hours crammed into one week. I also see a lot of adverts for
becoming a driving instructor and the only prerequisite is that you have held a clean driving license for 3 years but, is that a good indication of a safe driver?
A few eye brows may be raised and a lot of teenagers may moan but as a nation we need to combat bad driving, dangerous driving and stupid driving and the only way maybe to introduce new regulations which make safer driving a priority and regularly check the standards of a driver.
